UFC sells 10% minority stake to Adu Dhabi Company (and what it could mean for MMA in Pakistan)
Zuffa LLC, the company that owns the largest Mixed Martial Arts promotion in the world, The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently sold a 10% stake to Abu Dhabi based company, Flash Entertainment. This has made HUGE headlines in the MMA world because the UFC is known to be very restrictive on whom it does business with and guards the running of it’s company very closely.
The recent deal between Zuffa and Flash entertainment is the first step the UFC is taking in marketing its Mixed Martial Arts promotion to a truly global audience. Dana White, the president of the UFC has said that he forsees the sport of MMA becoming bigger than football around the globe. Will that happen? Maybe, maybe not. But even if it get remotely close that is a grand achievement.
Flash Entertainment has the networks and connections in the Middle East and Asia as well as a better cultural understanding of the countries in it’s sphere to bring the UFC into the mainstream to a whole new audience.
So what does this mean for Pakistan?
Right now this means that in the coming years, there are going to be more organizations like Fite Selektor looking to break into the Pakistani and South Asian market. This move by the UFC sends out a big message to all those already trying to get involved in this mega sports industry.
Get ready to start seeing more UFC cards on Pakistani channels, particularly those based in the UAE. Get ready to start seeing direct UFC involvement in MMA promotion in India and by proxy, Pakistan.
So all you martial artists in Pakistan who have spent your lives earning black belt after belt and competing in any tournament you can find for a plastic trophy keep training hard. The days of plastic trophies and a pat on the back will be over in exchange for sponsorships and cash prizes so that you can train full time as professionals.
Mixed Martial Arts will be here at the forefront bringing you the latest updates regarding MMA in the area as well as serving as a central point for Martial Artists and combat athletes of Pakistan to get together, work together, share ideas and become a nation known for producing some of the world’s top fighters.
That being said, let’s keep the Fite Selektor applications coming. More applicants will be showcased on our site in the coming days.
For those who live in Lahore, on Sunday, January 17th there will be a MMA seminar at Sukh Chan Wellness club in Gulberg at 4:30 pm. The seminar will answer all your questions about MMA. There will be some ground techniques covered and we can also accept applicants for Fite Selektor.
Look forward to seeing you there!